Summary of the Book of Ecclesiastes

Author:
The Book of Ecclesiastes does not directly identify its author. Several verses imply that Solomon wrote this book. There are contextual clues that may suggest a different person wrote the book after Solomon’s death, possibly several hundred years later. However, the prevailing belief is that the author is indeed Solomon. Full article: Who wrote the book of Ecclesiastes? Who was the author of Ecclesiastes?

Date of Writing:
Solomon’s reign as king of Israel lasted from around 970 B.C. to around 930 B.C. The Book of Ecclesiastes was likely written towards the end of his reign, around 935 B.C.

Purpose of Writing:
Ecclesiastes is a book of perspective. The narrative of “the Preacher” (KJV), or “the Teacher” (NIV) reveals the despair that inevitably results from seeking happiness in worldly things. This book provides Christians with an opportunity to view the world through the eyes of a person who, despite being very wise, is attempting to find significance in temporary, human things. The Preacher explores almost every form of worldly pleasure, yet none of it brings a sense of purpose.

Ultimately, the Preacher comes to acknowledge that faith in God is the only path to discovering personal significance. He chooses to recognize that life is fleeting and ultimately meaningless without God. The Preacher encourages the reader to focus on an eternal God rather than temporary pleasures.

Key Verses:

Ecclesiastes 1:2, “’Vanity of vanities,’ says the Preacher, ‘vanity of vanities, all is vanity’” (NKJV).

Ecclesiastes 1:18, “For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.”

Ecclesiastes 2:11, “Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under

The sun.”

Ecclesiastes 12:1, “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, ‘I find no pleasure in them.'”

Ecclesiastes 12:13, “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”

Brief Summary:
Two phrases are frequently repeated in Ecclesiastes. The term rendered as “vanity” in the KJV, and “meaningless” in the NIV is used to highlight the temporary nature of worldly things. Ultimately, even the most remarkable human accomplishments will be left behind. The expression “under the sun” appears 28 times, referring to the mortal world. When the Preacher mentions “all things under the sun,” he is discussing earthly, temporary, human matters.

The initial seven chapters of the book of Ecclesiastes depict all the worldly things “under the sun” that the Preacher endeavors to find satisfaction in. He explores scientific discovery (1:10-11), wisdom and philosophy (1:13-18), mirth (2:1), alcohol (2:3), architecture (2:4), possessions (2:7-8), and extravagance (2:8). The Preacher delves into various philosophies in search of meaning, such as materialism (2:19-20), and even moral codes (including chapters 8-9). He concludes that everything was futile, a transient diversion that, devoid of God, lacked purpose or permanence.

Chapters 8-12 of Ecclesiastes outline the Preacher’s recommendations and reflections on how life should be lived. He arrives at the realization that without God, life holds no truth or significance. Having witnessed numerous evils, he recognizes that even humanity’s finest achievements amount to nothing in the grand scheme of things. Therefore, he urges the reader to acknowledge God from youth 12:1 and to follow His will (12:13-14).

Foreshadowings:
Despite all the vanities detailed in the Book of Ecclesiastes, the solution is Christ. As stated in Ecclesiastes 3:17, God judges the righteous and the wicked, and the righteous are only those who are in Christ, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”, (2 Corinthians 5:21). God has placed the desire for eternity in our hearts, “He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.”, (Ecclesiastes 3:11) and has provided the Way to eternal life through Christ, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”, (John 3:16). We are reminded that striving after the world’s wealth is not only vanity because it does not satisfy, “He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.”, (Ecclesiastes 5:10), but even if we could attain it, without Christ we would lose our souls and what profit is there in that, “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”, (Mark 8:36)? Ultimately, every disappointment and vanity described in Ecclesiastes has its remedy in Christ, the wisdom of God and the only true meaning to be found in life.

Practical Application:
Ecclesiastes offers the Christian an opportunity to understand the emptiness and despair that those who do not know God grapple with. Those who do not have a saving faith in Christ are faced with a life that will ultimately end and

Becoming irrelevant. In the absence of salvation and God, life loses its meaning, purpose, and direction. The world “under the sun,” without God, is frustrating, cruel, unfair, brief, and “utterly meaningless.” However, with Christ, life is merely a glimpse of the glories awaiting in a heaven that is exclusively accessible through Him.